Scouting Report: Big Picture
Amidst trade talks and rumors of the never-ending Carmelo Anthony saga, the Denver Nuggets have stayed poised, positioning themselves amongst contenders in the Western Conference standings with a 29-21 record. Despite falling to the Utah Jazz last night, the Nuggets march into Minneapolis with confidence, riding a seven game winning streak over the Timberwolves at Target Center.
Last Time Out
The Nuggets failed to stop Deron Williams and the Jazz in a high-powered offensive battle, falling 113-106 at home. Anthony led Denver with 31 points, while Nene added 28, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Williams’ brilliant return from injury as the two-time All-Star recorded 26 points and 12 assists.
The Timberwolves couldn’t corral Jose Calderon and the Raptors fluid attack last night. Calderon led Toronto, dishing out a career-high 19 assists. Kevin Love continued his double-double streak with 20 points and 15 rebounds, but the Wolves lost 111-100. The Numbers Game
In the previous meeting between the Nuggets and Timberwolves, both teams lit it up by shooting over 45 percent from the floor.
Match-up to Watch
Jonny Flynn vs. Chauncey Billups
As Flynn continues to see increased minutes in a starting role, tonight he matches up with the skilled veteran of Chauncey Billups who torched the Wolves for 36 points on December 29. After suffering a setback injury months ago, Flynn has put in extra work to return to last season’s form and anxiously awaits for his breakout game.
What to Look For
After Kevin Love was selected to the All-Star game, several snub comments were shifted to the Nuggets center, Nene, who was left off the roster despite leading the league in field-goal percentage and averaging 15.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Expect both big men to have huge impacts on tonight’s matchup.
As always, continue to observe the double-double machine of Kevin Love. The All-Star will aim to extend his streak to 36 straight games and continue to narrow the gap on Kevin Garnett’s record of 37 consecutive double-doubles.